Q & A
I’m ready to file for my benefits…now what?
Complete Question: I’m 63 years old and after looking at my financial situation, I decided it would be best to start receiving my Social Security benefits in April of 2015. What should I do now? When do I file and how?
Answer: The best time to apply for benefits is three months before you want your payments to start; therefore, you can go ahead and apply now for April benefits. There are three ways to apply –
1) Over the phone by calling 800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7am-7pm.
2) In person at your local Social Security Office. You should call ahead to make an appointment.
3) Online at https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/rib. If you apply for your benefits online, you may need to provide documentation (i.e. proof of citizenship). If so, these documents will be requested at the end of the application along with instructions on how and where to send them.
You can also check your application status online at https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/IAPS/applicationStatus. It will take at least five days from your application date for a status update to appear and you will need your confirmation number.
my wife’s deceased husband paid in over 30 yrs. of qualified earnings to SSA. She will collect a pension from SERS and was wondering if it will be affected?
David,
I assume that the “SERS” you refer to is a state (or school) employee retirement system. How your wife’s SERS pension interacts with Social Security depends upon whether she (and her state employer) contributed to Social Security while she was earning her SERS pension. If she did not contribute to SS while earning her SERS pension, any Social Security benefit she may be entitled to on her own lifetime earnings record (from other non-state employment) will be reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP),and any SS survivor benefit your wife may be entitled to from her deceased husband will be reduced (or eliminated) by Social Security’s Government Pension Offset (GPO).
However, if your wife (and her state employer) did contribute to Social Security, then neither the GPO or WEP will apply and her Social Security benefits will not be reduced. As to whether her SERS pension will be affected by her collecting Social Security benefits, that is something you would need to discuss with the administrator of her SERS pension (many states use the “SERS” acronym and each state has separate rules).
If you need additional information about Social Security, please feel free to email us at [email protected], or call us at 888.750.2622.
Russell Gloor
National Social Security Advisor
The AMAC Foundation